Episode 97: David Vivero on how federal price transparency rules are rewiring what's possible

Listening In (With Permission): Conversations About Today's Pressing Health Care Topics

Suzanne Delbanco talks with David Vivero, CEO and Co-Founder of Amino Health, a health care financial wellness solution that combines data, design, and consumer-first thinking to curate personalized recommendations for specific care needs. Prior to Amino, David was VP of Rentals at Zillow, a consumer internet company that has transformed the home and rental marketplace through increased transparency and a strong user experience. A self-described “product guy,” David Vivero shares his view on where price transparency can make the biggest impact for patients and plan sponsors in the commercial health care market. David and Suzanne discuss the federal government's recent price transparency legislations, including the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, the Transparency in Coverage Rule, and the No Surprises Act. Taken together, these three pieces of legislation have the potential to catalyze a “Cambrian Explosion” of new digital health tools, consumer experiences, and potentially even new types of health plans or business models that improve coverage and care delivery. As David wrote in a June 2021 commentary for Fast Company, these regulations bring “health care one step closer to obeying traditional market dynamics in which cost and value are correlated.” In this podcast, David Vivero explores why he’s hopeful that the Transparency in Coverage Rule will create more of an impact than the Hospital Price Transparency rule has to date. A major difference lies in the penalties: the Transparency in Coverage Rule is a lot heftier at $100 per person per day for plans compared to $300 per day for hospitals in the Price Transparency rule. Finally, David shines a light on how new industries take time to reach their full potential, which is why he enthusiastic about the role of health technology products can play in helping make health care more affordable and user-centric moving forward. Featured quote: “In my view, price transparency is a platform. It’s like Microsoft Windows, a basic platform or operating system. And, on top of that, all sorts of applications can be built that further the objectives of the U.S. health care system and the American economy.”